Conformity in Literature, Life, and Government

Summary: Essay discusses the aspect of conformity in literature, life, and the government.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "A man must consider what a rich realm he abdicates when he becomes a conformist." This concept is illustrated throughout the world today; it is seen in great literature, the government, and in my own life.

In A Separate Peace, John Knowles illustrates this concept in the actions of Leper Lepellier. Leper goes to school at Devon, where he enjoys studying, skiing (slowly), and observing nature. He joins the ski troops after seeing a movie depicting the glory of the racing skiing, and he conforms to the idea that skiing fast does not really ruin the sport, as was his belief earlier in the book. He is miserable in the ski troops and eventually deserts because they plan to discharge him under Section Eight, which is "for the nuts in the service, the psychos, the Funny Farm candidates." Through...